Variable speed transmission



*WILLI* Aug. 2, 1960 Filed Oct. 19. 1956 M. E. OLSON 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.l.

INVE'NTOR Merton E. Olson Aug. 2, 1960 M. E. oLsoN VARIABLE SPEED TRANSMISSION 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 061;. 19, 1956 INVENTOR Merton E. Olson 6 Aug. 2, 1960 M. E. oLsoN 2,947,134

y VARIABLE SPEED TRANSMISSION Filed oct. 19. 19s@ s sheets-sheet s Fig.3.

I l L |NvEN'roR 28/ 27 29 23 L28 27 f Menon E. Olson 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Aug. l2, 1960 Filed Oct. 19, 1956 Fig .5.

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INVENTOR @j Merton E. Olson 79M .v f

Aug. 2, 1960 M. E. oLsoN VARIABLE SPEED TRANSMISSION 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed oct. 19. 195e Fig .9.

n nl 'l Horizontal Movement Pipe Travel of Sow Blade per IO Rotation of Driving Shaft INVENTOR Merton E. Olson rates 'This' invention relates `to a variable speed transmission;

` ltrelates particularly toa variable sPed transmission which'inaybe employed 4for operating artool so that the tiuuouslv moving warb j. Y

. auchan@ illustreranno iai/eued 'se embodied in' mounting and operrV a rotary cutoff saw forfuse in grr ' biitiniious/pipemills. "Although `the invention may be utilizedrfor mouutinaaul Operating otherV tools it has especial advar'itag'esl in cutting into predetermined lengths continuously preti/1,19.. @..Qu'aated articles Sjuh as,v rupe as they are delivered from the mill in Whichthey are produced The rotary utc Saw would of .Course be equally useful in cuttingbarsbeams, rails and other elongated articles buty it probably has its greatest, utility, at the present time at least, iii lutinuous' nine mills Merton Olson,` Dyer, llnd.9 assigner to The Youngs- 'Pipes aredelvered from ,Continuous mills-af high speed i andiit is desirabler to' cut the pipes intev predetermined lengths 4whilerthey are still rnovin'g igh speed in the direction ideliveryl' Modera us pipe mills deliver nieslat Speeds .as lush as. in the neighborhood of four hundred feet per. lulilultel Thus the. Problem of cutting'the'movirlg pipes into predetermined lengths withl` out stopping them or siowing them down isa challenging one. l Y t ln order to accomplisi; its function'the rotary cutoff saw must move longitudinally with the pipe atlconstant speed equal #to the `speed`of.. the pipe frorntheinstarnthe cut commenced until thecuthas completed.'v Also, of course,- tlie Savv whilethus advan ng 'with the pipe must have a componentor" movement 'traneverselyV the vpipe z fin order to perior'mthe sawing or cutting function @Other problems exist. ln -view of the necessarily high speed of Vthe'operation there is a tendency to giorni; alarge burr on Y the pipe attthe portion ofthe pipe which is` lastic'utbvy the saw in its movement` transversely of the pipe, formation of such a burr being 'an 'incident to high'speedfoutting.

' vlorination of suclifa large bunfshould be avoided also the mounting and operating' mechanism forrthe saw must be providedwith means for initiating `a cycle o toperation of the saw at the ,correct instant relative to the advance of the pipe toA be sawedland provision must be made foi stopping each cycle at the'propertirne inthe cycle so that the succeeding cycle will be properly synchronized to the advance of the pipe. f Further, provision must be made to avoid interference with the oncoming pipe by the saw after each cut. v i

I have solved all of the above mentioned problems by a unique mounting and operating mechanism. To avoid formation of the large burr above referred to the s aW should move at minimum speed through the last portion of pipetbeing cut in each cycle. This means a slowingnp of the as it moves through the pipe. To compensate for the relatively slow speed of the saw in its movement through the pipe atthe latter portion of such movementitV u n e e 79 by the arms lat. their outer ends and carrying the tool clar-l 'mustmove at relatively high speed in the initial phase of itsv movement through lthe pipe.

A particularly dictilt it anni nanfa aa a 19,60

t behind the cut. Also, provision must be made for proper'l ly positioning the'A pipe as it moves through the sawing' zone so that the saw will cut through the pipe.

My tool mounting and operating mechanism comprises a tool carrier, a tool carried thereby, meansv also carried by the tool carrier for operating 'the tool a base, guide means for guiding inapredeterminedpath Work to 'be acted onby the tool and connections between the baseand the vtool carrier moving the tool carrier in a generally cl cular path suchfthat the tool intersects the path of the work to act on ythe work. The connections between the base yandthe tool carrier preferably move the tool carrier in a generally circular path generally in a plane substantially containing at least the portion of the path of the work traversed by the worlg while the work is beingr acted on.` At Vthe same timeV the connections preferably move the topi at arspeed whose componentin the path of the worl; is substantially constant. Also the connections preerably moveV the tool at a speed whose component generally perpendicular to the path of the work decreases as the tool acts on the work. The predetermined pathfin wlrriclgry the werk is guided is preferably a substantially straightpath. The connections between the base and the"v tool carrier preferably include a rotary device moving the tool carrier in a generally circular path, and means are preferably provided rotating the rotary device at variable speed such that the component of the speed of the tool in the path of the work during at least a portion of theY time during which the paths of the tool andthe workintersect substantially constant. Such means Preferably rtt the rotary device so that the component of the speed" of the tOQl in the path of Ithe work' during the portionrof the` movement of the toolcarrier to initiate anew cycle of connections. 1

operation ofthe tool. l preferably provide a continuous 1y operating source of power and work controlled means rendering at intervals the continuously operating source of power operative to operate the connections to cause the tool to act on the work. I further preferably provide Vmeans adapted to hold the connections vinoperative and means rendering at intervals the continuously operating source of power operative to operate the connections to cause the tool to act on the work while rendering the holding means inoperativeand thereafter rendering the holding means operative and the continuously yoperating sourcev of power Vinoperative with respect to the The connections betweenthe base and the tool carrier may include two parallel shafts rotating in the same dire tion, substantiallyl coplanar and normaliy parallel connected with `theshafts, each arm being shorterthan the distance between the shafts, and pivot means carried ri'er for operation in aY plane beyond the ends' of 'the 2,947,184 i f f shafts. I preferably provide means for turning the shafts at variable speed.

Desirably the connections between the base and the tool.carrier includea shaft and an arm carried by 4the shaft and to which the tool carrier is carried, anoperating arm operatively connected withptheV shaft, aV driving shaft parallel to the iirstmentioned shaft but having its axis offset from the axis of the first mentioned shaft, a driving arm carried by the driving shaft and a driving connection between the driving arm and the operating arm whereby the driving shaft drives the rst mentioned shaft at variable speed. One of the operatingv arm and the driving arm may be longitudinally slotted and the other thereof may have a projection operating in the slot whereby the driving shaft drivesthe first mentioned, shaft at variable speed. I preferably employ a longitudinally slotted driving arm and an operating arm having thereon a roller operating in the slot.

My present preferred form of tool mounting and operating mechanism comprises a tool carrier, a tool carried thereby, means also carried by the tool carrier for operating the tool, a base, guide means for guiding in a predetermined path work to be acted on by the tool, connections between the base and the tool carrier moving the tool carrier in a generally circular path such that the tool intersects the path of the work to act on the work, the connections including a shaft extending generally transversely of but spaced from the path of the work and an arm carried by thershaft and to which the tool carrier is connected, another arm operatively connected with the shaft, a driving shaft parallel to the first mentioned shaft but having its axis closer to the path of the work than the axis of the first mentioned shaft, an arm carried by the driving shaft and a driving connection between the second mentioned arm and the arm carried Vby the driving shaft whereby the driving shaft drives the first mentioned -shaft at variable speed to move the tool carrier generally in the direction of the path of the work at substantially constant speed while the tool is acting on the work. Also the axis of the driving shaft is preferably spaced some- ,what in the direction from which the work advances relatively to the axis of the first mentioned shaft resulting in driving of the iirst mentioned shaft by the driving shaft at variable speed to move the tool carrier generally in the direction of the path of the work at substantially constant -speed until the tool has completed its action on the work and thereafter at increased speed. 'i InV the structure shown in the drawings the connections between the base and the tool carrier include two parallel shafts rotating in the same direction, substantially coplanar and normally parallel arms connected with the shafts, each arm being shorter than the distance between the shafts, and pivot means carried by the arms at their outerV ends and carrying the tool carrier for operation in a plane beyond-the ends of the shafts as above recited together with a third shaft geared to said two parallel shafts for driving the same, an operating arm carried by the third shaft, a driving shaft parallel to the third shaft but having its axis closer to the path of the work than the axis of the third shaft, a driving arm carried by the driving shaft and a driving connection between the operating arm carried by the third shaft and the driving arm carried by the driving shaft whereby the driving shaft preferably provided for stopping the tool carrier between' cycles in which the tool acts on the work. Desirably a continuously operable power shaft is employed in combination with clutch means for connecting the powerVv shaft to the driving shaft, means for interrupting the movement of the tool carrier between cycles in which the tool acts on the work and work controlled means for pipes being sawed travel.

rendering operative the clutch means and inoperative the means for interrupting the movement of the tool carrier to initiate a cycle of the mechanism.

Other details, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description o f a present preferred embodiment thereof proceeds.

ln the accompanying drawings I have shown a present preferred embodiment of the invention in which Figure l is a plan view of a rotary cutoff saw and its mounting and operating mechanism shown as provided in a continuous pipe mill for cutting continuously delivered pipe into predetermined lengths on the ily;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the mechanism shown in Figure l as viewed from the left of Figure l but omitting the driving motor and showing in cross section the shaft between the driving motor and the speed reducer;

Figure 3 is a front-elevational view of the mechanism shown in Figures l and Z;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view through a portion of the operating mechanism;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary horizontal cross-sectional view through a portion of the operating mechanism;

Figure 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view to enlarged scale taken on the line VI--VI of Figure 5 showing one `of the arms supporting the rotary cutoff saw and its driving motor; f

Figure 7 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view taken on the line VII-VII of Figure 4;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view taken on the line VIII-VIII of Figure 4; and

Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the characteristics of the mechanism.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, my tool mounting and operating mechanism comprises a tool carrier 2 and a base 3, the base being mounted upon a supporting structure 4 through suitable structural elements. Also mounted upon the supporting structure 4 is a pedestal 5 carrying a driving motor 6 having a shaft 7 connected through a coupling 8 with a shaft' 9 of a speed reducer 10. The driven shaft of the speed reducer 10 is shown at 11 and constitutes the power shaft for the tool mounting and operating mechanism. A shaft 12 of the speed reducer extends to an outboard bearing 13 and has a flywheel 14 fixed thereto. By the mechanism just described the power shaft 11 is driven continuously at substantially constant speed.

A driving shaft 15 is journalled in bearings 16 carried by the base 3. Reference numeral 17 designates an air clutch. The power shaft 11 enters the air clutch 17 at one side and the driving shaft 15 enters the air clutch 17 at the other side as shown in Figure 2 and each of the shafts 11v and 15 carries clutching elements as known to those skilled in the art. The air clutch 17 is operated by compressed air from any suitable source in known manner. The compressed air delivered to the air clutch may be controlled to render the clutch operative so that the drive shaft 15 is driven by the continuously operating power shaft 11 or inoperative so that the driving shaft 15 is disconnected from the power shaft 11. Actually in operation of my tool mounting and operating mechanism, as will presently appear, the driving shaft 15 is driven intermittently, the compressed air to the clutch 17 being controlled by the pipes being sawed through suitable control mechanism to be described.

The driving shaft 15 extends beyond the bearings 16 into a housing 18 having a cover 19. Within the housing 18 a driving arm 20 is fixed to the driving shaft 15. The driving Varm 20 has therein an elongated slot 21.

The base carries bearings 22 at the opposite side of the housing 18 from the bearings 16 at a somewhat higher level than the bearings 16 and slightly offset horizontally from the bearings 16 in the direction toward which the A shaft 23 is journaled in the bearings 22'. The relationshipbetween the shafts 15 and 23 'is clearly 'shown in Figures 4, ,5 and 9. A driven arm g. 23th fused to the Shaft 2.3., Stadtteil atm 214 heisses@- whatV shorter than 'the driving arm 2.0 as clearly shown position ofthe shaft 23 is plottedv for-each 10 of rotation ofthe constant speed driving shaft 15. Y

Mounted atl oppositev sides of the aligned bearings 22 are pairs of alignedV bearings 26 in each of which is journaled a shaft 27. Fixed to each shaft 27 is age-ar 28, the gears 28VV being of'v equal size.Y Fixed to thel shaft 23 is a gear 29 which meshes with bothlgears 28: as shawn in Figures and 8. Thus as the shaftZS is drivenf at variable speed it in turn drives the shafts27 at variable speed. a a

Fixed to the outer ends of the shafts 27 are arms 30, each arm being shorter than the distance between the shafts as shown in Figure 5 so that the arms can rotate through 360. Carried by the `arms 3u at their outer` ends are spindles 31 upon which through suitable bearings 32 the tool carrier 2 is mounted. Connected to the tool carrier 2 by lbolts 33 is 'a motor 34 having a shaft 35 carrying the rotary cutoff saw 36. The motor 34 and saw 36 are adjustable as to elevation through the use of shims 37.V

The saw 36 is moved through a circular 'path` counterspears/s constant speed during the entire cut. .a The equallinear increments of advance of the saw per unitlof time are designated a in Figure 9). The same condition continues Y to about the point C whereafter 'the movement of the saw in the direction of advance ofit'he*pipe4 speeds up as indicatedat b, c, d and e. The saw passes out ofthe path of the pipe somewhat to the rightofthe point D,

and thereafter the movement of the saw inthe directionA of advance of the pipe slows downl rapidlyiV Such charac*n teristics of the saw enable it to move out ahead of the oncoming pipe at the conclusion of the sawing operation lso as not 'tol interfere with the oncoming pipe. sawed-off length of the pipe will be propelled ahead of the saw at even greater speed than the speed ofl thesaw clockwise in the plane of the paper viewing Figure 3 by Mounted generally below the motor 34 and preferablyk v having its axis in the same vertical plane as the axis of the motor and saw is a pipe guide 39. The pipe guide 39 is circumferentially closed at its entrance end which is shown at the left viewing Figure 3 at et) and also is somewhat dared or bell-shaped as shown to facilitate entrance thereto of pipes to be sawed. `In the path of the saw 36 as the saw and the tool carrier carrying it partake of motion in a circular path through rotation of the shafts 2.7 as above described, the guide 39`is cut away as shown at d1, and at its right-hand end viewing Figure 3 the guide is of troughshape as shown at 4Z. The two ends of the guide 39 are completely separated from each other where the guide is cut away at 41 and are mounted upon a supporting structure 43. Thus the pipes to be sawed are guided as they advance in the path of the saw but are free to be sawed by the saw.

The pipes may hel advanced to the guide 39 by any suitable means, a generally V-shaped trough 44 being shown in Figures l and 2 to aid in guiding the'pipes. A

pipe is indicated by reference numeral 45. To compensate for dilferences in pipe diameter the elevation of the motor 34 and saw 36 may be adjusted by changing the number of shims 37 used and/or the pipe guiding means may be altered in size 4and/or elevation. The lengths of pipe sawed from the pipe 45 arekdelivered away toward the right viewing Figure l through suitable guides 46 and a driven roll 47. The roll 47 is preferably and 23` are shown. The lines L radiating from the axisY of the shafts 15 indicate Where they intersect the circle O the positions of the saw at equal time intervals deterin Aits movement inthe direction of advance of the pipe by the roll 47.

The saw enters the pipe being` sawed at comparatively high speed as `indicated at f and g in .the diagram. Toward the end of the sawing operation the speed of movement of the saw transversely of the pipe decreases .rapidly as shown at h, i; j and k. This insures an emcicnt cut with minimization of any burr formed at the portion of the pipe through which the saw passes Vlast Vin severing the pipe.

Pivotally mounted in the supporting ystructure at 4% is a cylinder 50. in which operates a piston with which is connected a piston rod 5l. The piston rod 5l is pivoted at 52 to an arm 53 carried by the shaft 23 in between the shafts 27 as shown in Figure 5. The arm 53` extends beyond the shaft and has in its Vopposite end a recess 54. AV cylinder 55 is mounted generally above the arm 53 and contains a piston with which is connected a piston rod 56 extending downwardly and carrying a yoke 57 in which is journaled a roller 53. The roller 53 is disposed directly above the arm 53. Fluid under pressure is maintained above the piston in the cylinder 55 at vall times. When the toolcarrier 2 `is in its uppermost or inoperative position it is heldin that position by the admission of' fluid under pressure above the piston in the cylinder 5@ and by the roller SSfbeing disposed inthe recess 54 of the arm 53, being pressed downwardly into operative Y position by the fluid above the piston in the cylinder 55. When a pipe 45 to be sawed into predetermined lengths approaches the saw 36 it trips a flag switch which closes shaft l1 and through the mechanism above described the tool carrier 2 initiates a icycle, moving counterclockwise about the axes of the shafts 27 viewing Figure 3.V As above explained, and as demonstrated Vby Figure 9, the saw 36 saws through the pipe, advancing at constant speed Yequal to the speed of advance of the pipe throughout the entire period during which the pipe is being sawed. During the sawing of the pipe the saw enters the pipe in the direction transversely, of the pipe at relatively high speed and toward Vthe end of the sawing operation slows down so that it passes relatively slowly through the last part of the pipe being sawed with the advantages above pointed out. After the saw` has passed through the pipe it moves ahead of the oncoming portion of the pipe until it is out of the path of the pipe as explained above.

a After completion of the sawing operation a cam operated f switch'opens the circuit to the .solenoid,` kthe flow of com- Y therein. Thus the tool carrier 2 is brought to rest in its The uppermost position and maintained in that position by engagement of the roller 58 in the recess 54 of the arm 53. Thiscompletes the cycle. Y i

While I have shown and described a present preferred embodiment of the invention it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the following claim. ,Y Y

I claim; t t

A variable speed transmission comprising two parallel shafts, a third shaft geared to said'two parallel shafts for driving the same, an operating arm carried by the third shaft, a driving shaft parallel to the third shaft but having its axis offset from the axis of the third shaft, a driv-Y ing arm carried by the driving shaft, a driving connection between the operating arm carried by the third shaft and the driving arm carried by the driving shaft, said connection having means on one of said arms engaging the other arm and moving in and out radially therealong during rotation of the shafts whereby the driving shaft drives the third shaft and hence said two parallel shafts at variable speed, arms fixed to said two parallel shafts and a head pivotally carried by the arms so that the head While maintaining constant orientation moves in a 'circular path at variable speed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 287,195 Tobey et al Oct. 23, 1883 859,581 Richards July 9, 1907 986,347 Beese Malx 7, 1911 1,115,000 Martin Oct. 27, 1914 v 2,119,024 Pierce May 31, 1938 2,163,967 Strawn et al June 27, 1939 V2,332,013 Rudert et al. Oct. 19, 1943 2,618,047 Mansell Nov. 18, 1952 2,709,846 Severin June 7, 1955 2,775,808 Redder Jan. 1, 1957 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATION OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2,947,184 August 2, 1960 Merton E, Olson It is hereby certified thaterror appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

ln the grant, lines l, 2, and 3, for "Merton E. Olson, of

Y Dyer, Indiana, assignor to The Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company of Youngstown, Ohio, a corporation o Ohio," read Merton E. Olson, of Dyer, Indiana, line l2, for "The Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company, its successors" read Merton Ea Olson, his heirs in the heading to the printed specification, lines 3 to 5, for "Merton E. Olson, Dyer, Ind., assignor to The Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company, Youngstown, Ohio, a corporatmw of Ohio" read Merton E. Olson, Dyer, Ind.

Signed and sealed this 25th day of April 1961.

(SEAL) Attest:-

ERNEST W. SWIDER DAVID Ln LADD Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

